Let’s be honest, 2019 wasn’t a great year in music. There were very few breakout artists and no established artist released their masterpiece album in 2019. But there were a few surprises and few very good to great albums that came out. These are the highlights of 2019.
Jesus is King – Kanye West
Ok, to call this an actual gospel album would be laughable and borderline blasphemous. But as yet another style experiment by Kanye West it succeeds. Ye’s synthy, R & B tinged rap gets slowed down and even more bombastic here. Kanye’s ego makes it work.
Norman F***** Rockwell – Lana Del Rey
This is Lana’s most ambitious album since her debut. Her indie rock/singer-songwriter sound is both mellower and more avant-garde than ever. These songs also contain her most deft wordplay since Born to Die, particularly on the album highlight “Venice Bitch”. It’s like she was alternating listening to Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith and then decided to merge that with her existing sound.
Cuz I Love You – Lizzo
Lizzo’s sound isn’t a revelation. Her music is arguably R & B or pop, with heavy touches of soul, rap, and gospel. She’s clearly inspired by diverse influences such as Beyonce, Missy Elliot, and Aretha Franklin. But she mixes it all together and makes it her own. She also has the sense to record 11 good songs and leave it as a complete album.
Hurts 2B Human – Pink
Somehow after all these years, Pink is still making albums that are relevant. Her sounds hasn’t really changed, it’s still driving, anthemic pop, filled with crescendos. What sets her apart from other pop stars is her lyrics feel authentic and honest. She postulates that “sometimes it hurts to be human”, which is something we can all relate to.
Brandon Banks – Maxo Kream
Maxo Kream has a tremendous flow. Brandon Banks is probably the most consistent hip-hop album of the year, each track rides a great beat. But what sets Kream apart is his persona. He’s not portraying himself as a kingpin, he’s giving the perspective of someone struggling on the streets. He also injects the struggle with a sense of humor mentioning Call of Duty and working at Panera Bread.
Honorable Mentions – The Get Up Kids – Problems, the Head and the Heart – Living Mirage, Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride, Weezer – Weezer (Teal Album)
Albums that Came out Too Late For Considerations– DJ Shadow- Our Pathetic Age, Tinashe – Songs for You